


Danse Macabre

by ColorfulDolce



Series: Flicker in the Night [2]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Dancing, Desolation!Tim, Distortion!Sasha, F/M, mentioned of Helen Richardson, mentioned of Jonathan Sims, tim and sasha mess up the archives like nbd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 06:17:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21248801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorfulDolce/pseuds/ColorfulDolce
Summary: Tim and Sasha go all out in Artifacts storage listening to Danse Macabre, silent disco style. Elias "Killjoy" Bouchard interrupts them.--“I know quite well what you two are doing,” Elias continued, patiently, “But that isn’t what I asked. I asked what you two thought you were doing.”“Shouldn’t you know that too?”“Answer the question.”“Or what?” Tim scoffed out, “You’ll sic Jon on us?”





	Danse Macabre

**Author's Note:**

> YES i'm still on this and YES this was because i was listening to danse macabre on repeat AGAIN i have a problem

“I thought you stopped dancing!”

“I’d hardly consider this dancing!”

Sasha and Tim whirled around the room in a flurry of red and white, knocking over a vase as they did so. They couldn’t help it--they laughed as it crashed onto the floor. As they twirled again, Sasha stuck out her arm into one of the shelves. The artifacts clattered in time with the music. Tim gave her a roguish grin.

“Touchy, are we?”

“Well, one of these _ did _ try to kill me.”

“Touché, but for the record Sash, it technically tried to kill all of us.”

“For the record, Tim,” she abruptly took the lead and dipped him, “It wasn’t wearing _ your _ face.”

He held up his hands in defeat, and Sasha relished in the eager grin on his face.

“Fair, fair.”

“Do you mean that, or do you just want me to kiss you?”

“Why Sasha,” his hands flew to his chest in mock hurt, “Why would I _ ever_\--whuoh!”

She swung him back up and into another twirl as they picked up the beat from the song, this time with her in the lead, not that Tim minded. Then, out of the corner of his eye he spotted it. His eyes lit up in glee. He reached his hands out.

Sure it wasn’t as satisfying as what he did to Nikola, but watching that wretched calliope crumble into ash was its own kind of thrill. 

Watching Sasha kick up the ashes was another.

He swallowed hard to try and fix his suddenly dry throat, but it was futile with the way Sasha knocked down more artifacts. With how she took certain ones and twisted them with her heel, ground them into an indecipherable shape that nauseated Tim to look at. How she allowed herself, just for a moment, to express all her pent up rage, her vengeance, her _ hunger_\--

God was Tim hungry.

“How long until you think Jon gets down here?”

“Long enough for us to finish the song.”

The books, the worms, the one wax head.

Gone. Gone. Gone. 

A twirl, a dip, a near kiss. Always, always, ever closer. Dancing around the artifacts, around each other. Sasha could feel the heat seeping through Tim’s gloves.

“You’ll have to buy another pair after this.”

“Not a problem at all, Sash--”

“And just what do you two think you’re doing?”

Sasha and Tim exchanged a look, somehow simultaneously surprised and yet not. Sure, they were expecting Jon to show up at any moment, but they were expecting _ Jon_. 

Elias merely eyed them with boredom. Sasha sneered.

“I think you know what we’re doing, Elias,” she said. Tim twirled her around so that he was now facing him.

“Yeah, and it’s a private event. Very exclusive. I don’t think I remember you being on the list,” he spat out. Rather than stop, the two avatars continued their dance around the intruder; they both felt the music drawing to a close, the violins building towards the final staccato notes before they would ultimately die off. They might as well finish it.

“I know quite well what you two are doing,” Elias continued, patiently, “But that isn’t what I asked. I asked what you two _ thought _ you were doing.”

“Shouldn’t you know that too?”

“Tim, can we ignore him for just _ ten _ more seconds? I want a grand finale.”

“Answer the question.”

“Or what?” Tim scoffed out, “You’ll sic _ Jon _ on us?”

Sasha gave Tim a hard tug, and yanked him into one last twirl. Their momentum caused Tim to topple over and nearly fall on her. He would have, if she hadn’t twisted the floor away. Instead of Sasha, Tim left a scorch mark on the hardwood floor.

He felt Sasha stroke his hair soothingly as he watched her dust herself off. He gave Elias an irritated glare.

“We were dancing,” she fixed her ponytail, “if you must know.”

“You were destroying artifacts.”

“Yeah, and you’re welcome for that, by the way.”

Elias’ face pinched up, and he sighed long and hard through his nose.

“I understand your..._frustrations_\--”

“Frustrations?!”

“--Regarding certain artifacts--”

“These ‘artifacts’ are HARDLY worth the risk--”

“But _do _ understand that they are valuable not only to research but to your former friends’ well-being!” Elias finally managed to spit out. He glared at the two of them, teeth gritted together, “For as much as you two feed your entities, surely you still hold some affection towards your former Archivist, correct?”

Sasha and Tim looked at each other.

“Well…he did stalk us--ow!”

“Tim!”

Tim held his unbruised cheek. Sasha scowled at him.

“I see I was right.”

“Look, just because you Know things doesn’t mean you Know _ this_,” Sasha said, “Jon wasn’t bad but...but he’s not...Most people don’t tend to survive for very long near him.”

“Tchyeah, I’ll say.”

“Does he know you two are alive?”

They...suddenly became very invested in opposite shelves.

“Oh?” Elias asked, amusement clearly evident in his voice. “Well then, does he Know?”

Sasha was _ very _ interested in whatever metallic cuff was kept in the glass case. Tim was just watching the brass knob melt under his touch, even through the glove.

“So he doesn’t. Hmm, funny. How _ did _ you two manage that?”

“He’s in denial’s what he is…” Tim muttered out, petulantly smearing the molten metal on the wooden shelf.

“Now hang on,” Sasha turned to her boyfriend, “I thought you said you’d rather die than let Jon know you were still here.”

“Yeah well--” he turned to look at Sasha, to glance at Elias. He frowned. “It--It’s...Look, it’s complicated, okay? I didn’t like him, even before--well, you know. Not _ all _ that much, less so after all that. But now it’s not like I don’t _ understand _ anymore and--Ugh. Look. He doesn’t know we’re alive, and that’s all _ you _ need to know.”

Elias smiled at him.

“I see you’re still hurting after your brother--”

“_Don’t _.”

“--Despite successfully gaining your revenge on Nikola. A pity, I think you would have been grand if you had stayed here. Jon could really use your help, now.”

“Well screw him! _We_ could have used his help before--!”

“_Tim_. Drop it. Let’s just...Let’s just go, please? I’ve had enough here.”

Tim pursed his lips. He wanted to say more, so much more, to Elias, to Jon, but one look at Sasha told him that, yes, this was enough. No use getting wrapped into whatever Elias’ next mind game was, into whatever Jon’s current issue was. They’d been here before, been trapped here before, but not now. Not anymore. Not when they served Something Else. He took Sasha protectively by the waist, careful to use the hand with the unsoiled glove.

“Yeah...Yeah. Let’s go.”

“I do hope you’ll be back. Things are getting...interesting.”

They didn’t turn around as they left the institute. Helen must have been in a good mood as she’d given them a door not too far from Artifacts Storage. It opened up to a house on the Thames. It appeared to be in a state of disrepair, so they sat on the dilapidated couch for the time being. Sasha chewed her lip.

“Do...Do you think Jon’s going to be okay?” Sasha ventured.

“Don’t know,” Tim rubbed his eyes, “Don’t care.”

“If…”

“If. Nothing. Sasha.”

She huffed, “_I__f _ Jon need our help...if _ he _ comes to _ us _ and asked for it...I think we should hear him out.”

Tim sat there, eyes closed, breathing evenly. If Jonathan Sims ever asked for help…

“...Look. _ If _ that ever happens--which it _ won’t _ because he’s a right and absolute bastard with no personal regard for _ anyone _ outside of whatever Trauma-of-the-Week they’ve gone through--then, fine. We’ll--I don’t know. We’ll _ think _ about it. Fair?”

“That’s fair.”

“Good. Now let’s stop talking about Jonathan. Talking about him feels like getting really bad heartburn.”

Beside him, Sasha giggled. She leaned her elbow on the couch’s armrest, and Tim smiled as he felt her curl up against him. Whatever game Elias was playing at, well, at least for today, they weren’t playing.

Outside, the river lapped lazily against the banks.

**Author's Note:**

> hEY I WISH I KNEW HOW TO HYPERLINK IN HERE BUT I'M CURRENTLY TOO JAZZED CHECK OUT THIS GOOD GOOD FANART!!!  
https://tanis-drawings-2point0.tumblr.com/post/188632555535/if-you-like-timsasha-then-please-read-id-like-to
> 
> \--
> 
> want more? hmu!!
> 
> salvadoerena.tumblr.com


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